Lily Yeh calls herself a barefoot artist: she travels the world with a suitcase full of art supplies, working with whoever wants to join her. In this inspiring TED talk, she shares the fruits of her collaborative art projects that bring color, community and beauty to public spaces often seen as “broken." Professor Yey explains how she became an artist and discovered how art can save the world one creative act at a time. When she found herself feeling that something was missing in her life as a successful and esteemed artist showing her work in fine galleries, she began creating art in a poverty-stricken area of Philadelphia. As she stood in the abandoned lot full of fear about the drugs, gangs and violence all around her, she heard a voice within her asking her to meet her fear with courage. “You must rise to the occasion, otherwise the light within you will die.” With courage in her heart and a paintbrush in her hands, she began a beautiful journey of transformation for herself and the children who painted murals that were created to bring beauty into their neighborhood.